In which I discover several things...

Firstly, those signs saying "wet paint" aren't lying.
Secondly, there aren't enough of those signs.
Thirdly, wet paint is surprisingly hard to wash off your hands.
Fourthly, I'm not mad and I have in fact booked the mairie for when I thought I had. Though the lovely ladies at the mairie now undoubtedly think I *am* mad, since I had to go and check. They laughed.

I also now have the suggested menu from the restaurant. It looks nice.
And the hotel have happily extended Claire's booking for me. I think the woman working there who looks deeply anxious all the time just looks that way, and she's nice really. She remembered who I was, at least...